The Wrong Address
by dobby1982
Summary: When the Hogwarts Administrative Department makes a large mistake, they send Dudley Dursley a letter inviting him to join Hogwarts, much to the surprise of his family, but how will Dudley fair when placed face to face with He Who Must Not Be Named?
1. Halloween

Thank you, to the two reviewers: 'softballpitcher' and 'A Summers' whose reviews have made me smile; thank you :). Here is Chapter 1 (The Revised Edition). I hope you enjoy it! And as ever, please review!

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The Dursley's were, or at least through a muggle's eyes, a seterotypical white British middle class family. Their substantial detatched four-bedroom family home, was nothing from the norm, and situated in a peaceful yet uneventful cul-de-sac in Surrey, you would not expect such a large event that was to happen shortly after this account had been written, about 6 Privet Drive and the major importance of the house. The road, Privet Drive, was home to thirty-four identical houses and here lived thirty four regular families where nothing unusual ever happened.

Petunia and Vernon Dursley fitted perfectly into this scenario. They were conscious, almost to the stage of paranoid, at how their friends, neighbours, colleagues and most importantly, their family perceived them. Although, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, they did not want to appear hostile; so they held regular dinner parties, so as to keep themselves within several important social circles. Petunia was determined to not be an outcast or for her family to slip off the scale, so she was very particular about these evening parties and how to impress the neighbours. As part of her O.C.D (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which she shared with her husband, she kept a small brown leather-bound notebook in the top drawer of her bedside table. In this book, she detailed each event she had held and been invited to, listing what she wore, what she cooked and on some occasions to the extent of writing down the main topics of conversation, or important facts, so as not to repeat herself and appear boring. (She and Vernon spent a fair amount of time revising this before each guest arrived). Mrs Dursley, was always particularly smug, when and if she noticed some hosts on occasions, wearing the same dresses time and time again, whereas she never did.

Vernon, although he would like to think the opposite, was governed entirely by Petunia. She was very dominative and she held the reigns but Vernon had a way of standing his ground; and was old fashioned in the sense that he expected the women to work in the kitchen and care for the house, meanwhile he was out slaving away to earn money to cater for his and his wife's every need. Vernon was several years older than his wife, and he was approaching forty, when his only son, Dudley was born. Vernon had always been a forward thinker, knowing what he wanted in life, and having a strong mental image of his family, work and house. He left school at sixteen, as encouraged by his parents, to earn a real salary, not be indebted to colleges for the rest of his life; although in hindsight Vernon secretly admitted that college would have been the making of him. Vernon was employed at a large company in central London, who manufactured and sold drills. His job title started out as office clerk, but after twenty-three and a half years of loyalty and hard work, he had been promoted three times, to a sales executive; he was in charge of pitching to other companies and generally trying to sell as many as drills as he could. Vernon was incredibly proud of his livelihood, he was not jealous of others and he was not ambitious, and was therefore satisfied with his job.

Petunia was unemployed, but she did not like that term because it was not a case of being unable to get a job, it was the fact that she did not want one, as her husband instructed her. She stayed at home, cleaning and cooking, and of course looking after her beloved son, Dudley. Although Dudley took up a lot of Petunia's time, she still had time to listen to all the gossip that she could; even to the extent of leaning over next doors fence, to listen to telephone conversations.

The family of three were more than happy with life; it was all going to plan. Dudley had loving and caring parents. Petunia was happily married and she lived comfortably, without having to contribute a single penny. As for Vernon, he could not be happier, everything he had dreamed of had come true, and nothing could possibly go wrong until one rainy August day when his and his family's lives would be turned upside down.

Petunia Dursley, put down the phone softly and began to weep quietly to herself. Her sister Lily, had been mysteriously brutally murdered along with her husband at their home. Although, the police were treating the case as very suspicious and had no idea of the situation, Petunia concluded that her sister's death was the cause of magic. Lily was a witch, and her husband James, a wizard.

When Petunia was nine, and her sister Lily was eleven. A letter was delivered to her sister, inviting her to join the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her father was strongly against it, trying to deny the situation; saying that it was a hoax. Her mother was surprised and had an undecided view of her daughter's education. Lily, determined to accept the offer travelled from Kings Cross Station to the school in the autumn, despite her father's strong negative attitude towards the school. Petunia had tried to research the school and witches but was only able to find myths not facts. Petunia's father who strongly favoured his younger daughter due to him only seeing Lily for several weeks a year, she tried to do everything she could to make him happy. Her father, Thomas, warned her not to tell anyone of her sisters magical education, for it would make her seem either mentally ill or attention seeking. She never told her husband Vernon, of her sister and her magical capabilities. In fact, she had lost contact with her sister, although she had been informed that her sister had had a son at a similar date to when Petunia and Vernon's son Dudley was born.

Vernon parked his car in the driveway and marched into the house with a large grin on his face, hung his coat and umbrella up, and walked into the dining room where his son Dudley was sat in the highchair. He ruffled Dudley's hair and chuckled before turning to Petunia to tell her of the successful day he had had. He turned, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed his wife. She was pale and was sat on the sofa with her legs tucked into her stomach and rocking from side to side whilst tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Petunia," Vernon cried "What ever is the matter?"

She gestured for him to take a seat so he sat down next to her.

"What has happened?" he repeated, more frightened this time.

"It's my sister" Petunia sobbed, "She died!"

"Oh my goodness" Vernon said. "What on earth happened?"

"She was murdered" Petunia said through deep breaths. "The police said it was mysterious circumstances," she paused for a second, "I think it might be do with the wizard world"

Vernon knew that Lily was an outcast of the family but that was as far as it went so when Petunia later explained to him in bed, that night, what she knew of Lily and her magical life, Vernon could not believe his ears.

The next morning, Petunia felt a bit better, she had no more tears left to cry, and she did not feel sad much longer, she had not seen Lily for over a decade, she could barely remember what Lily looked like. After waking up early to feed baby Dudley, she took two empty milk bottles from the kitchen and took them outside to be replaced when the milkman arrived, later that morning. She opened the front door and stepped outside which was when she nearly tripped over the bundle that lay outside, lying on her front door step, amidst a pile of poorly woven sheets lay a tiny baby, with a scar shaped as a lighting bolt, in the centre of his forehead, a small envelope rested, tucked under the baby's right armpit, in green ink, green ink which would continually to haunt them for many years to come. This was when she screamed


	2. The Letter

Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have had writing it. :) Please review!

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Vernon was still reeling from last night's bombshell and the disturbing news that his sister-in-law, Lily, was in fact a witch. He was awoken - from his third successive nightmare involving Lily (whom he had never met before, but he could see Petunia with a large crooked nose and green skin) shooting bright jets of light from a magic wand in all directions turning his neighbours into various putrid animals and cackling loudly – by a loud piercing scream, he rolled over and his alarm clock informed him that it was far too early for such behaviour and he wondered what on earth the neighbours would think, and in his half-awake half-asleep daze he threw on his dressing gown, and went downstairs. He saw Petunia standing on the front door step, and as he neared the bottom he saw a large white linen bundle on the first step, at first he thought it was a dead cat, not his of course, but one of the neighbours' as many of them owned a cat or in some cases two. He soon realised that in fact there was a very young child, who had been lying there. Petunia jumped quite suddenly, when she felt her husbands hand on her shoulders as they stared at the baby with the large scar. They were disturbed from their thinking by Dudley's loud screams which were followed quickly by the new baby who had been woken.

"Oh for goodness sake, Petunia, bring the boy inside before the neighbours hear" Vernon said angrily but not trying to raise his voice. Petunia carried the bundle into the kitchen, and Vernon shut the door behind her, wondering what on earth was going on.

Petunia gently unravelled the sheets as if unwrapping a present slowly, she took the baby out, which had blatantly done something horrible within his nappy. She took the letter, addressed to her, and she also found several photographs and even several newspaper cuttings. Although, these photographs and newspaper cuttings had the ability to move and this baffled the pair yet again. Once the two had calmed the pair of young boys, Petunia and Vernon both sat down at the kitchen table, and with trembling hands Petunia began to open the envelope.

The untidy scrawl upon the parchment which the couple had rarely seen, read:

_Dear Petunia and Vernon Dursley,_

_I am sorry to inform you, if you did not already know, of the tragedy that unfolded last night at your sister Lily's house. She, and her husband James Potter, were brutally murdered…_

It was hard to read the handwriting as parts of the ink had been smudged and blotched by the tears of the sender.

…_by a dark force referred to as He Who Must Not Be Named, as you are not of the wizarding world, I should not strictly speaking be informing you of this, but he went to the house where your sister and her family lived. James was killed first, Harry, the baby, was to be next but bravely Lily sacrificed her own life to save his, alas this was all in vein as the Dark Lord, turned upon the baby anyway, but the spell to kill backfired off the baby's head (forming the scar) and killing the wizard who cast the original spell. Although orphaned, Harry will surely become a hero amongst the wizarding world and no doubt he will become a successful wizard. Please look after him as you are his last remaining family. _

_Yours truly,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Meanwhile, outside, although nobody witnessed this act, a large tabby cat, vanished into thin air, its task was complete.

Back within the four walls of 6 Privet Drives, Vernon and Petunia Dursley stared at the baby, with amazement after what they had just read.


	3. The Second Letter

Just a teaser of what's to come... Chapter 4 is on its way :)

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Almost a decade later on, Harry had come to know the Dursleys as his parents. Despite not being treated like their other son Dudley, they were the only mother and father-like figures in his life. He understood that they would not love him as a son, but he wished sometimes that the shoe was on the other foot and he was the favoured child. Dudley loved all this attention and never failed to rub it in Harry's face. Harry did have one skill though that Dudley did not and could not have; in fact he was convinced he was the only person on the entire planet to be able to do such a thing. He had strange skills, he could talk to snakes and sometimes his anger caused things to happen at his house – things beyond his control.

Petunia could sense the magic boiling up inside Harry. She had seen the same thing with her sister. She had withheld the information about Harry's magical background and he had no idea of his capabilities. She knew it would not be long now until his letter arrived.

On the 23rd August, a letter, addressed with green ink arrived through the letterbox. However, it was not addressed to Harry as expected – it was for Dudley instead.


End file.
